"The City Is Not A Concrete Jungle. It's A Human Zoo"

July 28, 2011 7:19 AM

The Corners Project. For three years, photographer Friko Starc took candid, spontaneous portraits of people who passed by one of five Manhattan street corners. Video

The Corners: These links have a lot of photos and are bandwidth-intensive

* Lower East Side: Clinton & Rivington
* Chinatown: Chrystie & Grand
* Wall Street: Wall & Broad
* Spanish Harlem, el barrio: Lex & 116th
* Chelsea: 19th & 8th

posted by zarq (12 comments total)

In February 2010, Mr. Starc published a book on the project. Click on the cover at this link to preview the entire thing for free.
posted by zarq at 7:21 AM on July 28, 2011

All images are safe for work, by the way. However, a couple of subjects made rude gestures. :D
posted by zarq at 7:23 AM on July 28, 2011

I really liked these; I find portraits of strangers on the street (within the larger category of street photography) to be one of the more challenging photographic undertakings. Only their friends and relations know for sure, but I have a sense that Starc revealed the personalities of the subjects, despite being only just passersby. In some ways, that may be the fundamental truth here--that, taken off guard, it's easier to reveal yourself to a stranger than someone you know better, or whom you know in a more structured environment. There's certainly some people I've photographed formally who freeze up, but when caught in the moment are happy to pose. I'm working up to my own 100 strangers project (someday!); I'll file this away.

Thanks for posting.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:25 AM on July 28, 2011

Aww, so many happy faces! Made my day. I didn't expect to like this half as much as I did. Thanks, zarq!
posted by misha at 7:31 AM on July 28, 2011

Pretty much everyone on Wall Street looks like they want to punch you.
posted by The Whelk at 7:41 AM on July 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

The idea reminded me of Augie's photo album from Smoke.
posted by vacapinta at 7:43 AM on July 28, 2011

Ah, Clinton & Riv pretty much sums up what I love about my neighborhood.
posted by functionequalsform at 9:30 AM on July 28, 2011

This is not a 243-link opus!
posted by Evilspork at 9:35 AM on July 28, 2011

these are cool documentaries of the neighborhoods, but as an inhabitant of this particular menagerie, i really wish to see the human zoo in other parts of america.
posted by fuzzypantalones at 9:41 AM on July 28, 2011

Admiral Haddock: "I have a sense that Starc revealed the personalities of the subjects, despite being only just passersby. "

That was my impression too.

misha: "Aww, so many happy faces! "

Well, except for Wall Street.

Evilspork: "This is not a 243-link opus!"

For which everyone is probably really thankful. :D
posted by zarq at 9:50 AM on July 28, 2011

Pretty much everyone on Wall Street looks like they want to punch you.

They know what they've done and they don't want it to be documented.
posted by hydrophonic at 12:30 PM on July 28, 2011

misha: "I didn't expect to like this half as much as I did. Thanks, zarq!"

Agree...got sucked in and it made me smile.
posted by JokeAndBiagio at 7:04 PM on July 28, 2011